Farmer redux

There is no more effective an energy booster for an out-of-work politician than looming irrelevance. The shuddering thought of being consigned to a mere footnote in the history books, to feisty debates on the seminar circuit and, horror of horrors, to single-column despatches in the dailies is enough to bestir him from his quiet sunshiny days playing with the grandchildren in his Lutyens Delhi lawns while contemplating seven-digit advances for forthcoming memoirs. Talk of political polarisation and the perceived beginnings of a two-party system have jolted into action leaders of what little remains of the Third Front, none perhaps more than the 8220;humble farmer8221; H.D. Deve Gowda. Gone is the heavy-lidded, mumbling man who dozed through much of his residency at 7, Race Course Road as he dispensed his duties as the prime minister of the Republic of Hassan. Gone is the regional satrap of yore who won a few hearts with his fumbling attempts to rise to the unexpected greatness bestowed upon him.

Deve Gowda circa1999 has a purposeful air about him, a new spring in his step. Bangalore is still on his mind, as attested by periodic convulsions suffered by the J.H. Patel ministry, but New Delhi is no longer a short-term stint. Gowda has greater, more national aspirations now as he sprints between hushed political deliberations and frontal attacks on the ruling coalition. That he is part of a disparate Lok Sabha grouping of six does not dampen his enthusiasm as he holds forth on the Third Front8217;s grand plans to instal a new regime at the Centre. And as behoves a consummate schemer, he refuses to be sidetracked by anything as irrelevant as detail as he pronounces, no doubt with a glint in his eye: 8220;There are indications that during the next month a lot of political developments will take place.8221; And as befits a statesman of stature, he is perfectly as ease speaking on everybody else8217;s behalf. Most importantly, as befits a serious claimant for an innings as prime minister, he self-effacingly brushes aside talk of being aconsensus candidate.

Only problem is, there is intense jostling for the hot seat. And, in an era of coalitions where an individual8217;s bargaining power is inversely proportional to the number of his party colleagues in Lok Sabha, the smaller the party, the better. A situation tailormade for the irrepressible leader of a one-man party, Subramanian Swamy, who successfully executed the tea party blitzkrieg that rocked the capital. Indeed, unlike Gowda, Swamy has already started reeling off numbers while raising the pitch with threats of tabling a no-confidence motion. But whether the Janata Party leader8217;s efforts remain a storm in a teacup or lash the capital with its first April squall will ultimately depend not on his two chief guests but on what are considered Third Front reliables, M. Karunandhi and the two Yadavs. Till these leaders along with the BSP make a statement of intent, Gowda and Swamy will continue to hog the headlines with their clairvoyant visions of things to come.